Tubes are used in large quantities for the packaging and dispensing of various products, such as cosmetics, ointments, shampoo, toothpaste, ketchup, and the like. Initially, such tubes were made of light metals like aluminum however, due to certain drawbacks such as deformation, sharp edges, low shelf life, and less durability, plastic or laminated tubes, generally known as Plastic Barrier Laminated Tubes (PBL) Tubes have been introduced. Plastic Barrier Laminated (PBL) tubes are produced commercially and are now being widely used for wide range of product storage. For long term and efficient storage of products, the tubes are manufactured with multiple layers of films and different types of core barrier materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,905 discloses the production of seamless reinforced polymeric thermoplastic tubing for use with corrosive chemicals either alone or as a fixed lining for more rigid tubing. US Patent Application No. 2001/0042297 A1 discloses a method for producing a laminated tube of metal which has a pipe-like core sheathed in an external seamless tube, the core and external tube being telescoped together and then pressed together radially by drawing, as well as a method for producing a laminated tube of metal which is pressed radially by drawing.
During the process of manufacturing the laminate tubes, the laminate is slit according to the size of the laminated tube to be manufactured. Once the laminate is slit into smaller laminates of appropriate size, the outer layer of the laminates are printed. Further, the printed laminate is formed into a laminated tube by fusing together the longitudinal ends of the laminate. The longitudinal ends of the laminate are generally non-printed area or non-printed strips of the laminate that are overlapped and fused to form a seam of the tube. The seam of the tube is typically a hump shaped, high risen and distinguishably visible non-printed area. The seam is generally left non-printed because chemicals such as varnish contained in printing ink usually contaminate the seam area causing superficial bond between the seal interfaces during the process of fusing the laminates. As a result, the non-printed strips of the laminate restrict the area of printing on the laminate, thereby restricting a printed curved surface area of the laminated tube, and compromising with the aesthetics of the tube.